A sound of thunder awoken Sora from her rest. Through a small window above her, rain sprinkled down and lightning flashed through the windy darkness.

We must be in a storm now, Sora thought.

Storm simulation was a nuisance in SCO, especially across the ocean. Giant waves, sharp drops of rain, and winds that could push you off-board.

All players hate that, of course, but it was part of realistic immersion. No obstacles, no fun.

Sora sat up and slid her legs over the edge of the bed. Her feet landed on something soft and she immediately lifted them up.

Below the bed, Maxor laid while snorting like a dog sleeping next to his master. If he liked Sora as a fox girl, why didn’t he slept next to her?

Perhaps he was more of a gentleman than a nosy wolf. Sora still wondered what was Maxor’s backstory.

A lizard guard approached the cage door and unlocked it. “All of you, get up!”

Sora tipped her foot against Maxor’s arm until he yawned. He rose while rubbing his eyes. “Are we there yet?”

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“The crew needs your assistance with the ship!” the guard explained. “Follow me, or drown in here!”

Quest Alert

The crew needs your help to secure their ship through the storm. If you don't, the ship might sink, and you will be forced to log out.

Reward:

20% EXP

Accept:

Yes/No

Sora accepted the quest without a choice. Good thing she could accept any quest while doing one. She might as well do it so she wouldn't remain at level one forever.

"Okay, we're going," said Sora.

The guard tapped his spear on the cage bars. “You better move now. Vahr has no patience for lazy slave workers.”

Sora and Maxor followed the guard out and through the deck. Only half of the cages in the corridor were empty.

Why does the captain need the slaves to maintain his ship?

If the slaves were smart enough, they could jump off the ship to escape. Or maybe they would be smart enough not to do that.

The ship could be further away from the mainland in the middle of the ocean. All of them would drown if they try to swim in the open sea. And swimming in a storm was a bad idea.

On the main deck, the crew was running around, pushing barrels and trying to keep the sails straight.

“You two will secure the first sail,” the guard ordered. “The wind is blowing heavily!”

Sora and Maxor nodded, then they reached the first sail. A bull pulled down a rope from the first sail and tossed it.

Maxor caught the rope and tied it around a knob on the rail. “This is simple.”

Sora grabbed the next rope and pulled it toward the next knob. Suddenly, a wave splashed into Sora and pushed her away.

The wave pushed her toward the edge of the ship where there was a gap between the railing. If Sora falls off the ship, the waves would bury her into the blackness of the sea, and then it would be game over for her!